A thin client is a computer or a computer program which depends heavily on some other computer (e.g., its server) to fulfill its computational roles. The notion of a thin client extends directly to any client-server architecture, in which case, a thin client application is one which relies on its server to process most or all of its business logic. The specific roles assumed by the server may vary, from providing data persistence (e.g., for diskless nodes) to actual information processing on the client's behalf. A thin client is a box that allows a user to connect to the network and use enterprise versions of applications that use data that sits on a server without having to store the enterprise applications on the device itself. For example, thin clients allow for local printing, audio and serial device support. Web browsing, terminal emulation and can combine local processing with network computing.
A thin client may be built with Windows Embedded Standard. Windows Embedded Standard 8 (WES8) is a product of embedded operating systems. Specifically, Windows Embedded Standard 7 and WES8 are the successors to WES2009, which in turn was the successor to Windows XP Embedded (XPe). Thin clients with WES8 offer security, desktop management, and work productivity without compromising user experience.
The thin clients include factory-defined administrator account and may have a single image installed in it from the factory. For example, the keyboard language options may be preset at the factory. In addition, the default for the WES-based thin client is automatic logon of the locked-down user account. Enabling automatic logon bypasses the log on to Windows dialog box.